The Results

My inner aesthete is sold on the C250 Sport, all hunkered down and alluring despite the gray around its temples. And it'd be my pick if I could overlook the sleepy gearbox and steering devoid of nerve endings. So it's the 328i that wins by default, at least on Planet Kott: brilliant chassis, overachieving engine, superb driving environment, but with a body not exactly built for sin. —By Douglas KottSenior Feature Editor

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These two cars share many attributes—turbo inline-4 engines, rear drive and a compromise between sport and luxury—but they also have striking differ­ences. Visually, the boxier and more classic C250 appeals to me. But dynamically, I have to go with the BMW. While it may seem like a tossup, in reality, I would get whichever model came with a manual gearbox, and in this case, that would be the BMW. —By Calvin KimAssistant Road Test Editor

PERFORMANCE

Performance points based on proportional scale (normalization).

Pts

2012 BMW 328i

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport

0–60 mph time

30

30.0

25.3

0–1/4 mile time

30

30.0

28.2

Slalom

30

30.0

30.0

Skidpad

30

30.0

30.0

Braking, 60–0 mph

30

28.3

30.0

Braking, 80–0 mph

30

28.2

30.0

Fuel economy, EPA

20

20.0

18.5

SUBTOTAL

200

196.5

192.0

SUBJECTIVE

Subjective ratings based on points awarded in each of 12 categories by editors and scored based on a proportional scale.

Driving excitement

20

20.0

16.8

Engine

20

20.0

17.0

Gearbox

20

20.0

13.0

Steering

20

20.0

13.7

Brakes

20

20.0

20.0

Ride

20

20.0

18.0

Handling

20

20.0

17.9

Exterior styling

15

12.0

15.0

Interior styling

15

13.4

15.0

Seats

10

10.0

8.4

Ergonomics/controls

10

9.5

10.0

Luggage space

10

10.0

8.4

SUBTOTAL

200

194.9

173.2

POINTS STANDINGS

Points based on a proportional scale, independent of price.

Total Points

400

391.4

365.2

FINAL STANDINGS

1

2

2012 BMW 328i

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport

STANDINGS, PRICE DEPENDENT

Points based on a proportional scale; points range based on percentage of top price.